Originally Posted by sunflwrgrl13

This is exactly why I will not live in any neighborhood with an HOA. I will not give any of my profit from a house sale to anyone but me (or a realtor). They take too much of your money, and you get no benefit (in my experience). No one will tell me how high my flagpole can be, the max height of my grass, what type of mailbox I can have, or what colors I'm allowed to paint my house. I can't stand the "Cloneville" neighborhoods where everybody's house looks like everyone else's because they have to conform to stupid set of rules. It's a given that you can't create health hazards, and need to follow city and state regulations, but the city doesn't care what color I paint my house or that my mailbox matches everyone else's.

Originally Posted by TruBrit

but you don't give them anything at closing not unless you are behind with your dues......and you do get benefits, one tends to live in a tidier/cleaner less crapsville neighbourhood. i'm not a natzi lover by any means but over the yrs living here i can see the advantages. besides one gets the chance to view the natzi's rules and regs prior to closing and if one doesn't like the rules then don't buy, simple as that. works for me

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

. Read the cc&r's and hoa minutes with a toothcomb before you purchase and you will most likely avoid the nazi-type hoas. The minutes tend to be especially revealing.

Originally Posted by g1ant

slightly off-topic but still about HOAs. We had one "can pay but won't" homeowner who the HOA got a court judgment against but still couldn't collect. He sold his house this week and the HOA snagged almost $4000 from his sale price at closing. I'd love to have seen his face when he saw his closing statement.